Washing Baby Clothes etc

[Princeonthemove]

Please could I have some views on this? Is it necessary to wash the baby's layette before using everything?

My rather sketchy understanding is that there are 'chemicals' on the fabrics that should be rinsed off prior to wearing or putting next to delicate skin.

In which case, it would see counter-intuitive to wash them in even the mildest of powder or liquid, as you would just be adding another layer of chemicals....

So are they fine to be aired and used, or should I wash them in a water cycle only in the machine?

Any advice gratefully appreciated.

erm..first baby, prewashed everything.
second baby, prewashed the stuff I bought before she was born only
third baby...never prewashed anything and his skin hasn't suffered.

I'm sure it's as you understand though, and if concerned about chemicals have you considered using soao nuts or ecoballs?

What is a layette? (sorry!)

I washed all the babygros, vests and sheets with a small amount of non bio liquid before using them.

Clothes do have shop finish on them, you can usually smell it so I like to wash that off for babies, although I have put unwashed stuff on my DS at times.

Layette=very gay term for all the baby stuff.

Thanks a lot for your advice. Yes I think I wwill look into soapnuts and alternatives. But to those people that don't, and use just a bit of normal detergent, presumably the thinking is that it is less 'damaging' that the shop finish?

By the way, I am not being just bone idle; it is more that the things look so lovely I don't want to wash them first. And possbily a degree of my own odd superstition.

I wonder what is acutally in the finish they put on? Any fabric manufacturers knocking around today>?

I washed everything new for all babies. I'd think you were washing off any manufacturing chemicals with a chemical you'd be using on their skin on a regular basis. If it's rinsed well, there shouldn't be tons of detergent left anyway.

Babies puke on things so much that everything will be in the wash virtually immediately anyway! I would be wary of washing loads of newborn outfits though in case you don't end up using them - you sometimes find you just keep them in babygros at that stage and they grow out of all their clothes so quickly anyway.

Please wash everything. I work in a children's clothing store and in my store alone clothes get stepped on, small children with their dirty hands (and mouths) on the clothes, we have a lot of spiders in are back room where everything is stored. Not to mention you never know what was bought, brought to someone elses house and then returned. That's just what happens when it's in our store, I have no idea what happens before it gets to to us.

Thanks very much-some very good points and after that post MKG I am practically racing to the machine. decision made!

where do you work MKG so we can avoid it like the plague!

altho obv, you couldn't possible say I'm sure

wash it in ecover stuff or whatever if you're worried about chemicals.. most clothes have nasty chemicals in, including formaldehyde, either dyes or to keep them pressed-looking in the shop. I would definitely wash new clothes before letting them anywhere near my baby. Even washed in standard washing powder is fine, but don't ever put new clothes straight on a child (or you)..

I have washed everything and just spent over an hour ironing bedding for a baby that is 6 weeks away...hmm, nesting??

I didn't wash anything, but most of our stuff has been second hand from people we know and always smells freshly washed. But the bits we did get new, we put straight onto DD and will do the same for the next one. I don't think DD ever wore anything for more than a couple of hours at that stage anyway as she would always throw up or poo on everything. And she was tiny when born so people went out to buy her tiny baby clothes instead of the newborn stuff we had, and there was no time to wash that. She has always had very good skin.

I don't know what they put on the fabrics but having been in factories and warehouses and seeing how filthy they are n how clothes are just left lying around I would defo wash them, they may LOOK clean but trust me they're defo not. U don't know where they've been or who's touched them.

I would, if only if your baby does get a reaction, you know that it's from whatever you've washed the clothes in, rather than from a random selection of different detergents/fabric stiffeners etc

I would wash things you will be using in first week and then when sex/size is known give it to a good friend or relative to wash up for you!

Maybe worth going down the soap nuts route if you are worried about chemicals.

My sister washes EVERYTHING she buys new for her or her DD (8)and always has done!!

I don't wash anything usually, though I did o a little craqy last night and washed all the neutral stuff for my new baby (and I am only 21 weeks)!

Nesting??

Last time I didn't do anything and DD didn't seem to suffer.

However, one of my more random pregnancy quirks this time round has been a strong aversion to the smell of 'shop' on new clothes. So not only have I pre-washed the baby's things, I have also pre-washed anything DH or I have bought for ourselves.

In fact lots of the baby's things are having a 2nd whizz round the washing machine as I write this...

Mad, me??!!

I always wash new clothes for myself and would definitely do for babies. It's not about an immediate reaction perhaps but about minimising the exposure to chemicals.
This is an article I found about it:

Should you wash new clothes?

some links about formaldehyde in new children's clothing, esp made in China, which most is,

www.redorbit.com/news/science/1354110/formaldehyde_found_in_childrens_clothing/index.html

www.theage.com.au/news/World/Claims-Chinese-clothes-show-formaldehyde/2007/08/20/1187462133044.html

www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/12/21/the-6-synthetic-fabrics-you-most-want-to-avoid-and-why.htm

I would never bother re-washing second hand clothes given by a friend or whatever, it's the chemicals I'm worried about.